Re: Helms of McMinn Co., Tenn.
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In reply to:
Re: Helms of McMinn Co., Tenn.
Rosemary Corley 7/17/04
Rosemary, Hi!
I'm sorry I've been so long answering. We lost a grandbaby and I have been at my son's home for awhile. I have been looking at the messages from Kathy and doing some more research. I found where 2 brothers- John and William Hellums left South Carolina and moved to McMinn County Tn. by 1801. I'm not sure about Eli being John Hellums' son. John would have been in his 70's when Eli was born. Possible, but maybe Eli is James' son and he just bought John's land from his kin in 1849. I found where Eli bought more land in McMinn County in 1859, so he was a land owner.
We were in Tn. last fall and I search in the courthouses for several days. I found in 1856 where Rachel Helms w/o William Helms, sold 107 acres, land which was left to her for use during her natural life- then the remaining land went to James Helm. In 1862 Eli, John C. Hellums & Rebecca Dillon sold James Hellums land.
I have also been looking at Joseph S. Helms. I found a Joseph S. Helms born in Va. s/o William Helms of Va.( William has a brother named John) some of that family went to South Carolina & Tn. but I'm not sure about Joseph and I have not proven anything yet. The dates are a few years off. But still in the 1700's so it's worth checking out. Records get pretty hard to find in the 1700's.
I did some research at the Daughters of the Republic of Texas library in San Antonio and look up the reports of the slaughter at Goliad. Listed in the Georgian Battalion was Wilson Helms and listed in the Mobile Grays was a Spencer _______. Maybe our Spencer? The Mobile boys joined the Georgia boys in route to Texas (doubling the size of the battalion). Fannin was from Northern Georgia. The boys left for Texas in November of 1835. They arrived in Texas and joined with Fannin in Dec. of 1835 and were dead by March of 1836. If the records are correct-I need to do some work in Alabama or maybe they didn't know where to put Spencer ? so they just added him to the Mobile Grays. So Spencer would not have been in the 1836 tax records as Joseph S. unless it was listed as property of Joseph S. Helms.
If Eli married Spencer's widow, Sarah, she was abt. 13 years older than Eli-he would have been abt.19. That is very possible and it was common for brothers to marry the others' widow and provide for her and her children. Eli would have married Sarah in 1842-she had to die before 1855. Eli married Elizabeth Bryan (b. 1-31-1827, our James C's sister) m. 12-18-1855, she died 2-7-1857. Elizabeth and her baby are buried next to her parents-William G. and Lucy Cate Bryan. Elizabeth's name is spelled Halum on her tomestone. Eli then married Lucy Bryan (b. 1-8-1843, our Mary Carolina's sister). Lucy died 8-18-1874. She is buried next to James C. and Sarah A. Bryan. On her tomestone is says "wife of E. Helms". I have not found a grave site for Sarah Helms or Eli. And I have walked thru alot of cemeteries in McMinn, Bradley & Sevier Counties. Eli never look far for his wives.
I found Zelpha Helms,b.1836/39,married to John Sparks on 9-17-1857 in McMinn County, but I can't find her again. What about Sarah, age 12 in 1850? Are they both Zeph's sisters?
Let me know what you think and maybe we can get some input from Kathy.
Doris
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Re: Helms of McMinn Co., Tenn.
Audrey Stanaland 5/28/06